SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES - JUNE 30: Westfield chairman Greg Miles (L) and former Socceroo captain Paul Wade during the FFA Cup round of 32 draw announcement at the FFA Offices on June 30, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

Often likened to the FA Cup, the FFA cup has become a feature on the Australian footballing calendar due to the set-up of the draw guaranteeing David vs Goliath fixtures.

Every fan of the round ball game loves seeing a non-fancied team launch a run deep into the competition.

It's why the FA Cup has such a proud and storied history. Quite frankly, it's the “magic of the cup”.

A show down between the Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory headlines the all A-League fixtures and should present us with an early, free-slowing attacking game of football.

In the other all A-League games, the Jets will host the Victory, and the Phoenix will host Grand Final runners up, the Wanderers.

However it is the games outside the nationally recognised clubs that interest most fans of the competition, at least in the early rounds, and 2016/17's draw has not failed to excite.

Former NSL powerhouse the Wollongong Wolves will host Sydney FC in a monster fixture. Wolves officials are expecting a huge crowd to turn up at Win Stadium and I don't see the fans disappointing.

Justin Pastield, who has over 50 appearances between the sticks in the national competition will be looking to lead his side from the back, as they attempt to full of a shock against one of his former A-League clubs.

FFA Cup darlings Hume City FC will have to overcome a tough first round fixture if they are to produce their heroics of the 2015 competition. Standing in their way in round one is four-time NSW Premier-League champions the Marconi Stallions.

Although it's highly unlikely the fixture will top the six-plus thousand who saw them battle the Melbourne Victory in the innaugral competition's semi-final, the fixture should provide plenty of interest for the locals.

Blacktown City will battle Sydney United in a fixture that will see the current NSWPL front runners play the second placed side. Outside of the A-League involved fixtures, this is arguably the highlight.

Also of particular interest to those of us based in Sydney, the Bonnyrig White Eagles will host Manly United in a mouth-watering all-NSWPL tie. Given the short distance, and passion of the United fans, this may be another fairly large crowd for what should be an entertaining fixture.

Given that the first round of fixtures take place between late-July/early August, non A-League teams, who are in season, will be confident of possibly causing an upset against A-League competition.

Although they'll enter as overwhelming favourites in their respective games, Adelaide United, the Mariners and Melbourne City will have to be awake to the possible threats.

United, who lifted their first A-League trophy earlier this year, will travel to Brisbane to play Redlands United. Adelaide are one of the competition favourites, however Redlands will be chomping at the bit to cause the biggest upset in the competition's history to date.

Green Gully will be hoping home ground advantage, combined with doubt following a horror 2015/16 season, will see them advance at the expense of the Mariners.

The Mariners were, at times, a side more suited to a state competition, and will have to produce a performance to beat their hosts.

The riches, and ridiculous talent, of Melbourne City will be on show in WA as Floreat Athena look to shock the footballing world.

Tasmania will also host a fixture as the Devonport Strikers play host to the Lambton Jaffas of northern NSW.

Elsewhere the Melbourne Knights play Cockburn City of WA, the FNQ Heat host the Edgeworth Eagles, Rovers Darwin will face the challenge of the Brisbane Strikers, Metrostars play Bentleigh Greens, and Canberra Olympic will play Surfers Paradise Apollo.